Her Voice
by defenderofbunnies
Summary: Two years after the events of P3P, Akihiko Sanada hears a very familiar voice on the radio and finds himself in Inaba. Inarticulate as usual, he lands himself in a spot of bother, giving a few members of the Investigation Team a new case to solve.
1. How Not to Deter a Potential Stalker

**A/N:** As soon as I realised who voiced MShe, I felt I had to write _something_ based on the fact that she also voiced another important Persona character. xD This is actually a sequel to a series which was inspired by my play-through of P3P, unlike the Shinjiro one which was based on translations of various scenes. That aside, please enjoy~!

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**Her Voice, Part I**:

**How Not to Deter a Potential Stalker**

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"Hey... Uh... You're Rise Kujikawa, right?"

At first I thought he was just one of my fans who'd tracked me down to the sleepy little town in the country, gagging to see the Risette that they'd seen on television in the flesh.

"Um... Yeah, I am," I replied, tilting my head to one side and giving him a polite little smile. "Are you here for some tofu?"

As he stared at me, I kinda wondered if he was one of those stalker fans who tried to take pictures of me through my bedroom window - he had that look in his eyes as if, I dunno, he was expecting more than just tofu.

"Oh... N-no..."

"You want my autograph then? It's no trouble, I'm kinda used to it."

"It's not that either," he sighed, looking a little agitated. I bit my lower lip, wondering whether or not it would be a good idea to ask him to leave. Where was Senpai when you needed him? Then I remembered - he was spending some time with Nanako and Dojima-san before he left for the city, he'd turned down my invitation to hang out with me earlier that morning.

"Then what is it? I'm sorry, but I don't think there's anything..."

He was a handsome guy, a few years older than me. Like Souji-senpai he had grey hair (though his was almost white), and he was very tall. I wondered if he was a relation of Senpai and Dojima-san because of this, not to mention the fact that he had his jacket slung over one shoulder. There was also something else about him that bothered me, but I wasn't sure what it was exactly.

"I heard your voice on the radio and..." He spoke again, still not enlightening me with his reason for being here and acting like a total creeper.

"Oh, is it my music you like? You can still buy CDs, but probably not here - why don't you try Junes? It's not too far from here..." I really was starting to lose a little patience with this guy, but hopefully this would satisfy him. It was a shame, because he _was_ really handsome (not that I'd tell Souji-senpai that).

"Nngh..." Came a frustrated grunt, and I noticed he was muttering to himself about something or other rather than leaving. Just then, the door opened and in stepped my two saviours - Teddie and Kanji, though they didn't realise it yet.

"Ooooh!" I squealed, rushing up to the taller (and more menacing looking) of the two guys, draping my arms around his waist. "I wondered when you'd come see me, Kanji-kun! Oh I missed you so much!"

Much to my dismay, Kanji just stared at me as if I'd been replaced by an alien, not understanding the situation I was in.

"Uhh..." He frowned and then shot a look at Teddie who was just as surprised as he was.

"Rise-chan, are you feeling okay?" The blonde murmured after a moment of very awkward silence.

"Y-yeah! Hahaha!" I released Kanji and beamed at them, not daring to see what the weird guy made of this. "I'm feeling great because my special guy is here!"

"Wait, I thought you liked Sou- Oh!" It seemed that Kanji had noticed that there was another person standing with us. "I get it. This asshole's creeping you out, so you want us to scare him off, right?"

"Maybe I should leave..." Murmured the 'asshole', hastily pushing past the others and leaving the store without another word.

"Yeah! Get bent!" Kanji called after him.

"Thanks for nothing," I sighed, folding my arms against my chest. "Still, you got him to go..."

"Who the hell was he anyway?" He asked, scratching the back of his neck. "And did you really have to...?"

"I dunno... He just came in here and looked at me as if... Well, I'm not sure. But it was so creepy! I asked him if he wanted tofu - even an autograph - but he didn't want either of those things..."

"Mmmm..." Teddie pouted. "How come Rise-chan hugged Kanji and not me? I'm obviously the most convincing fake-boyfriend, with my good looks, not to mention Kanji's a-"

"No I ain't!"

"You didn't know what I was gonna say!" The shorter of the two guys puffed out his cheeks.

"Yeah, I did! B-besides, you were the one who-"

I decided that it was a good time to go back behind the counter, to make it look like I was doing something rather than standing around talking with my friends.

"By the way Rise-chan," Teddie approached the counter, leaning his elbows on it and pouting again. "Did you get a weird feeling from him too?"

"Whaddya mean, Ted?"

"I dunno to be honest," he wrinkled his nose. "Maybe it's just me being overly-protective of you, but I'm sure I smelled _something._ Since the fog went away, I can sense things on this side too... Hmmm..."

"Well, I'm gonna call Chie-senpai and the others and see if they wanna meet at Junes," I nodded, already dialling her number. "I wanna hear Naoto-kun's opinion on this too."


	2. How Not to Make a New Friend

**A/N: **The reason why this fic is divided into small chapters is because it changes perspectives a couple of times and would (potentially) be confusing, not to mention long. xD; Anyway, hope you like~

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**Her Voice, Part II**:

**How Not to Make a New Friend**

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I left the shopping district as fast as I could without bringing too much attention to myself, not caring where I ended up. This whole idea had been stupid right from the start, and I didn't even know why I went through with it. Boredom, perhaps? No, it was something more than that...

I'd first heard Rise Kujikawa on the radio - not singing, but giving an interview. At first I didn't know it was her, being too busy with my college studies and training to familiarise myself with idols. But before I knew it, she was everywhere, and I couldn't escape it - I had to come here and find her for myself.

_Great, now she thinks I'm some sort of stalker... Then again, maybe I am... But she sounded exactly the same as..._

"Big bro!"

My attention was caught by the sight of a young girl, an elementary school student, darting past me with a gigantic smile on her face. She was followed by a teen who was deliberately running much slower than his usual pace - either that, or he was physically unfit, despite his slim build.

"Nanako! You're too fast!" He called after her, but wasn't out of breath in the slightest. That reminded me - spring break would be a good time to increase my training before I was bombarded with assignments and tests again, because I was a little out of breath myself (though it was probably because I got so flustered in the tofu shop).

I sat down beneath the pavilion, watching them for a little while. The girl was so carefree and my thoughts turned to my own sister. Maybe the people in this town weren't used to strange men staring at them, because I was soon approached by the 'big bro'.

"Hey... Haven't seen you around before," he muttered, taking a seat beside me. Nanako was playing with a cat a few metres away, and I tore my gaze from her to address this guy and set him straight, lest he think I was an asshole too.

"I'm just here for a week."

"Oh, right. Staying at the Amagi Inn, yeah?"

"How'd you know?" I frowned.

"Lucky guess," he shrugged. "By the way, did you know that place is supposedly haunted?"

I raised an eyebrow, wondering what his game was. Fortunately, I'd learned about the place I was staying at prior to coming here.

"The faces in the wall?"

"How'd _you_ know?"

"Someone told me a few years back. They came here for a club trip or something."

"Really? That must mean you're from Port Island." He must've read the confused look I was giving him, because he elaborated further. "Well, once a year we get different sports teams from Gekkoukan High School come train with us and last October the first and second years got to go there for our annual class trip. That, or I'm psychic."

"... Are you like this with everyone you meet?"

"Yeah," he chuckled, "it's like a habit of mine to talk to everyone I see. Though I'm a little concerned about why you were looking at my cousin like that."

I frowned a little, glancing back over to Nanako and then to the guy again.

"Oh no... No, I'm not one of those!" I didn't want to tell a complete stranger about Miki. I took a deep breath and continued. "She just reminded me of someone, that was all."

"Well that's good, because the next thing I was going to say was that my uncle's a cop," he grinned. "Oh, by the way. My name's Seta - Souji Seta."

"Akihiko Sanada." I offered him my hand and he shook it with a firm grip.

"Alright, Sanada-san," Souji nodded. "So tell me... What twist of fate brings you to Inaba? I mean, there's not much here for tourists, so there's gotta be a reason beyond wanting to try the famous steak."

I sighed, averting my eyes and staring at the ground. Then I heard him laugh.

"Sorry, I was joking. You know you're supposed to relax when you're on vacation, right?"

"I heard that there were a lot of mountains nearby. They say that if you train at a higher altitude, the air is thinner and your body has to work harder. Top athletes often train in mountainous regions to improve their levels of endurance. Thought I might get some training done or something before college starts up again," I shrugged. "It's been a while since I've had enough free time to catch up with my fitness regime." This was half the truth - I wasn't going to openly admit that I came purely to hear Rise Kujikawa's voice, or rather _her _voice.

"Huh? Oh right... Okay then," Souji twisted his lips off to one side. "Whatever floats your boat, hah. When're you here 'til?"

"The twenty-first."

"Seriously? Same here - maybe we'll be taking the same train back to the city. I was only supposed to be in Inaba for a year while my parents went over to Europe. I transferred in last April, and since then the time's flown by."

"You mean you were a transfer student?"

"Yeah," the teen nodded. "... Uh, you okay?"

The more I spoke with him, the more similarities there were. His ability to talk to me as if we'd been friends for ages, the charismatic way he was able to say things that made me want to spend time opening up to him, and then the fact that he'd been a transfer student too. It was all too much of a coincidence that I'd encounter someone else who was like her.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine."

Suddenly, a catchy jingle rang out, and Souji excused himself before answering his cell.

"Yeah? What is it Rise-chan? Uhh... No, I don't think I can - I'm still with Nanako, and Dojima-san's disappeared off somewhere. Sorry."

I felt the blood in my veins run cold - out of all the people to have encountered, it had to be another of her friends. Then I recalled what one of the two guys in the tofu store had started to say before he was cut off, that Rise liked someone, and I was betting it was Souji.

"Look, I'm gonna head off," I muttered once he was done speaking.

"Sure," he nodded. "Maybe we'll run into each other again. This is a pretty small town, after all."

"Mmm." Actually, I was hoping the opposite. It was awkward enough with Rise and her friends in the tofu store, I didn't want Souji to know that I'd gone there and behaved like an idiot.

"Nanako!" I heard Souji call out once he'd said good bye and I'd sighed in response. I thought it was best if I just returned to the inn, lest I bump into one of the others - like he'd said, it was a small town.


	3. How Not to Hold a Meeting

**A/N: **The story continues! o: The next part may or may not be really short, depending on how I feel with editing. Also, why do I always end up making the same joke about Chie? (Those who are familiar with my P4 fic will know what I mean...) Thank you to everyone who reads/ reviews this! n_n

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**Her Voice, Part III:**

**How Not to Hold a Meeting  
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"Is this it?" I frowned, glancing around the table at everyone seated there. Chie-senpai, Yukiko-senpai, Kanji, Naoto-kun and Teddie. Everyone except Souji-senpai and Yosuke-senpai, who were busy with Nanako and Junes-related things.

"Whaddya mean 'is this it'?" Kanji grumbled. I'd dragged him and Teddie over to the food court as soon as my grandmother came down from her break and we'd waited for the others to arrive.

"So, what was the 'important thing' that you called us for?" Chie-senpai yawned, taking a slurp of her drink. "Don't tell me it's another one of your plans to get some alone time with our leader."

"No it's not!" I pouted indignantly. "Besides, I don't need plans to get alone time with him - Senpai's wrapped right around my little finger!"

"Ugh, there she goes again... It's like there's a demon beneath that sugary-sweet smile of hers..." She muttered to herself, thinking I couldn't hear her.

"...W-well, this is about something different, and I_ really_ need your opinions..."

"Rise-chan was approached by this really strange guy in the store earlier!" Teddie explained with a smile. "He didn't want tofu or autographs, and he smelled pretty funky."

"I didn't smell anything... 'Cept tofu..." Muttered the bleached blonde sitting between us.

"I didn't smell anything either, I just got a strange feeling. But um, he was just staring at me. He said something about my voice, and then it got all... Weird." I glanced over to Naoto-kun, hoping her deductive skills would help shed some light on this man's identity and his intentions. I'd already been kidnapped once and didn't wanna re-live the experience.

"Did he look at all familiar?" She asked.

"No... I hadn't seen him before."

"Hmmm... That narrows it down a little, but there are a lot of people coming and going, due to it being spring break. Could you give us all a description?"

"Um, really tall, silvery-grey hair... Pretty handsome, and he had a band-aid above one of his eyes."

"Was he your type, Kanji?" A fair haired guy suddenly interrupted with a chuckle, and Kanji yelped loudly.

"Hell no!" He cried adamantly, slamming his palms down upon the table and glowering up at Yosuke-senpai who had appeared from nowhere in his June apron. "How many times have I gotta tell you - or do you need reminding with my fists? S-sides, you're the one wearing girly shit!"

"So he's not?" Senpai wiggled his eyebrows, stealing a seat from a vacant table and joining us. "And, in case you've forgotten, this is my _uniform."_

"Sheesh, you guys," Chie-senpai sighed, massaging her brow. "We're trying to find a lead on this stalker guy..."

Yukiko-senpai suddenly released a little gasp, and we all stared in her direction.

"Hold on... The many you described sounds like one of the guests staying at the inn right now! I'm sure of it! I don't know his name, but he's staying in a single room..."

"What're we waiting for?" I stood up, slamming both hands down on the table à la Kanji Tatsumi. "Let's go over there right now and tell that creeper not to come near me again!"

"U-uh, Rise-chan?" Chie-senpai blinked. "You can't just go barging in there and-"

"Senpai's right." Naoto-kun's cool demeanour resonated within me, and I found myself sitting back down. "Right now, it would merely be an invasion of privacy - we don't know all the facts at this moment in time. He could just be a typical fan of yours, but nervous around females like Kanji-kun."

"I-I'm not!"

"I dunno, he's pretty hot," I muttered. "Not Kanji, the stalker."

"Oh? Don't let Souji-kun hear you say that," grinned Chie-senpai.

_Like he really cares..._ I sighed to myself. Since I told him I was planning on going back into showbiz he'd been distant, and at times it felt like he was deliberately avoiding me to spend time with Nanako-chan or Yosuke-senpai.

"Cheer up Rise-chan, we'll clear it all up! After all, if we managed to solve the murder case this is gonna be a piece of cake!" Teddie nudged me reassuringly.

"Thanks Ted," I smiled. "So what's our plan, if breaking and entering's a no-no?"

"I'll conduct an investigation with Senpai," Naoto nodded to Yukiko-senpai. "I think it's best if you didn't involve yourself, in case he turns out to be dangerous. Kanji-kun and Teddie, you'll keep an eye on her, yes?"

"Yeah," both guys nodded at the same time.

"Um, it's not like I'm five years old or anything..." I frowned. "Besides, I've had stalkers before!"

"Aww, but this is my one chance to prove to Rise-chan how much of a man I really am!" Teddie beamed in my direction.

"No... Please don't look at me with the sparkly eyes... You know I can't resist the sparkly eyes!" I wailed.

"Hee hee," snickered the boy who then turned to address Kanji. "Now, no wandering hands while we're looking out for Rise-chan..."

"... That's it - the next time we're in the TV world, I'm tearing that fuzzy fur of yours off your body and damn well shoving it where the-"

"Yeah yeah, we know Kanji," Yosuke-senpai managed to silence him with a wave of his hand, or maybe Kanji was too busy fuming at Teddie to continue his sentence. "Well guys, I wish I could help, but I'm only here 'cause it's my break." He yawned and glanced at his watch. "And yup, it's almost over... Just my luck..."

"H-hey guys? What about me?" Chie-senpai pouted.

"Uh... You can eat steak?" A now calm Kanji suggested earnestly and Yukiko-senpai burst out into a fit of hysteria which in turn made us all groan, except for Kanji who looked extremely confused. "What? I say somethin' funny?"


	4. How Not to Handle Room Service

**A/N: **This was supposed to go up yesterday, but I got a little distracted. xD; A very short chapter, but please bear with me. The next two will be longer, I promise. c:

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**Her Voice, Part IV**

**How Not to Greet Room Service**

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Surprisingly, I'd gotten back to the inn and fallen asleep pretty quickly. Perhaps I was tired out from the run I'd gone on earlier in the day, or perhaps the shocks I'd had were enough to exhaust my body. Nevertheless, it was early evening by the time I woke up, the sky already beginning to darken.

Night skies always reminded me of my past, where I'd stay up until midnight waiting for that hidden hour to arrive. We'd venture out into the darkness and enter a place where it was even darker, fighting our way to the top of a seemingly endless tower.

Tartarus was gone now, and the world was still oblivious to the fact that the Dark Hour had existed. We were the only ones who remembered, and who knew the true reason behind all those strange incidents that had occurred on the island.

"Room service!" A young voice called from the other side of the door. "I've brought the towels that you requested earlier."

I got up off the futon and slid it open, a raven-haired girl who looked like she was still in high school smiled politely up at me.

"Oh... Thanks... Is that it? Or...?"

"Um, dinner will be served at eight. And the hot springs are open to men from nine until ten if you were wanting to bathe tonight."

Ever since a certain incident during my senior year, I'd been reluctant to go to a hot spring, even if there was no chance of Junpei and Ryoji dragging me along to peep at girls, or Mitsuru 'executing' us after we'd been caught. The only one who'd found the situation amusing on their side happened to be the one I'd already seen without much on...

"Are you okay, Sir?"

"H-huh?"

"You're uh...W-well um, I'll leave you to it!" She bowed quickly after literally flinging the towels in my direction and rushed off.

"Something on my face?" I muttered, placing a hand to my cheek and finding it was really warm. Had I been blushing? Great, another girl who probably thought I was some sort of creepy weirdo.

I glanced at the clock and saw it was seven forty-five - there was just enough time to change before I went down to eat. The food at the inn was nowhere near as delicious as Shinji's cooking. Or hers, for that matter, though she didn't cook as often as I wanted her to.

On my way back to my room, I all but collided with a guy with blue hair walking in the opposite direction to me. His entire outfit was a little strange - blue, blue, and more blue - and it was as if he was a wannabe detective.

"Sorry," I mumbled, thinking nothing of it and returning to my room to change into a bathrobe.


	5. How Not to Conduct an Investigation

**A/N:** This was probably my favourite part to write. Might I add that I simply adore the friendship between Junpei and the MShe? I found interacting with Junpei a lot more fun than with any of the girls, even when he was being an idiot. Please enjoy~!

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**Her Voice, Part V:**

**How Not to Conduct an Investigation**

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"Akihiko Sanada."

"Huh?"

"Akihiko Sanada." Naoto-kun repeated, sitting across from me in my room. "That's the name of the man who was in the shop today."

"Oh... I see..." I frowned, glancing down at my phone. I'd sent Senpai a text, but he hadn't replied. "It... Doesn't sound like a stalker's name."

"There's something familiar about it, however," she continued with a sigh. "Like I've heard or seen it before somewhere."

"Did you find out anything else?"

"He's staying alone, is booked in until next week and... Rise-chan, are you listening to me? Souji-senpai won't message you just because you happen to be looking at your phone."

"Sorry," I murmured. "I appreciate you guys doing this for me."

Yukiko-senpai had also come to report, but she hadn't said a single word since they arrived.

"Um, is she okay?"

"I-I'm fine... Just... His name sounds familiar to me too, but I can't imagine where I might have heard it."

"How odd... Maybe we should run a search on the internet - if we've both heard of him, however vaguely it may be, then surely it's more than just a coincidence."

I volunteered, but only because it would give me an excuse to check my phone. There was still nothing from Souji-senpai, and my heart sank.

"Anything?" Naoto-kun asked after a little while.

"No," I frowned, "just some stuff about an Akihiko Sanada being the undefeated boxing champ of Gekkoukan High School a few years back. W-wait... It's him! With the hair and the band-aid! He's younger there, but it's definitely him!"

"Ah! I remember now!" Nodded the junior detective, her eyes aglow with realisation. "There were some odd happenings in that area three years ago, so when we went on our class trip, I did some research."

"Oh, and we have Gekkoukan students stay at the inn during the summer break as part of the fellowship between our two schools. But... It's always just girls."

"Akihiko Sanada, captain of the boxing team. Graduated in 2010 along with Mitsuru Kirijo, the valedictorian and now head of the Kirijo Group. He was mentioned in a list of notable students because he'd never lost a match."

"Naoto-kun, have I ever told you how much I love you and your photographic memory? Gah, that means pretending that Kanji's my boyfriend is out of the question," I frowned. "Wow, I must've looked so stupid in front of him."

Yukiko-senpai snorted, and Naoto-kun looked a little awkward.

"S-so... Now we know who he is, we just need to find a motive."

"M-motive?"

"Yes, a motive. Why would he want to come to Inaba and meet you?"

"Because he's a fan of mine?" I suggested, but it was knocked down by Naoto-kun no sooner had the words left my lips.

"No, I believe it's more than that. You mentioned something about your voice?"

"Mmm," I nodded. "He said he'd heard me on the radio, but I haven't released any songs in a while, just given a few interviews. I don't see what that proves-"

"Strange," she frowned. "Considering in those interviews, you are mostly speaking how your agency tells you-"

"Hey! Risette speaks for herself! Except when she's uh... Promoting something... Dammit... Maybe he's just in love with my voice," I shrugged.

There was a long silence, and Naoto-kun had her eyes closed in thought but her lips were curved into a slight smile which meant she was close to cracking something.

"Maybe that's it... Senpai... Would it be possible to gain access to one of the rooms in the inn? In particular, the one where our boxing champion is staying..."

I'd never understand what went on in that girl's head or what I'd said that made sense to her, but nevertheless, I was grateful for her being there.

Surprisingly, Yukiko-senpai was okay with Naoto-kun's idea. Perhaps it was because she was a junior detective, or because she had a better plan than going in with all guns blazing and yelling at him, but Senpai had no qualms with us just going up there and entering his room. She did, however, collect his used towels as Naoto-kun and I looked around. It was pretty minimalistic, save for a few weights in one corner and a few things scattered across the table - keys, a cellphone and a silver box which looked really out of place, though not so much as the toy rabbit sitting beside it.

"... This is kinda creepy. I mean, what guy goes on vacation alone and brings a stuffed toy?" I immediately headed for the table to investigate, lifting the lid and gasping as a pretty, upbeat little tune spilled out.

"Rise-chan, we're supposed to be..."

"Huh? Why is there jewellery in it?" Within the music box were several little trinkets - a dainty silver necklace, a matching bracelet and even a ring that looked far too small be worn by a man. "D-don't tell me these are gifts for me?" I all but squeaked, slamming the lid down and shuddering. By this time I'd piqued Naoto-kun's interest, and she came over and knelt beside me, staring hard at the box.

"I doubt he'd know your ring size, or your taste in jewellery if he's only interested in your voice. There's a fair amount here. They look quite expensive, too."

"Hmmm..." I wrinkled my nose and reached out to grab his cell phone. "Oooh, maybe he's got plans to kidnapped me stored away on here!"

"Rise-chan!" Naoto-kun cried, but she knew it was futile - I'd already accessed the menu.

"Let's see... Last received calls... Junpei Iori... That sounds like it could be a pervert's name... Junpei Iori again, Ken Amada... Oh, Mitsuru Kirijo - that's the valedictorian, right? He's only got her in here once, so definitely not his girlfriend..."

"What are you trying to accomplish?" An exasperated Naoto-kun attempted to swipe the phone from my grasp, but I was too fast for her.

"Hey, I'm not finished! Don't worry, he'll never know!"

"This is an invasion of privacy!" Naoto-kun spluttered, even though it was too late for her to say it.

"Yeah, well he invaded my privacy when he came into the store and started acting weird!" I protested, pressing a few keys and probing into the 'missed calls' list. There was a new name that I hadn't seen in the 'received' folder, and the messages all dated back to a few years ago.

"Kiyoko Hikaze... Does that ring any bells?"

"Hmm... I'm afraid not."

"Hikaze... Hikaze... Where have I...?" Senpai murmured. Neither she nor Naoto-kun had anything else to add, so I decided to play the message saved from November 2009. In the background I could hear chattering and the faint ringing of a bell.

_"Hey Senpai, it's me! Um, Junpei needs me to go over his homework with him - yeah, __**that**__ Junpei - so I'm gonna be late home tonight. One second- Junpei, will you stop making those damn faces! I'm trying to leave a - that's it, you're paying the next time we go to Hagakure! Oh, n-not you Senpai... The idiot who thinks it's hilarious that I'm leaving you this message, just because he can't get it through that big ol' head of his that- No, no, gimme back my phone! Junpei!" _

_"I just wanna ask Senpai if he can try and keep the noise down the next time you're in his- Ah! No! Get off me you demon woman! Help! Senpai! She's-!" _

The message ended there, but that wasn't my biggest concern. No - what was more concerning was the female voice in the message - it sounded just like mine!

"Oh! That's right..." Yukiko-senpai's eyes were wide as she gasped. "The fellowship! I was only in middle school then, but there was a girl from Gekkoukan with that name... I spoke to her for a while - though I can't remember what we talked about - and that is definitely her on the recording..."

"Are there any more?" Cool as ever, Naoto-kun indicated to the phone. "I'd like to hear another, just to prove my theory is correct."

"Um... There's quite a lot..." I muttered lowly, still completely weirded out by the fact that Kiyoko Hikaze sounded just like Rise Kujikawa. "Either this guy never picked up his phone, or..."

Or she was like me - in love.

_"... Uh... Hi..." _This time she sounded a lot softer, and there was no noise in the background, save for her gentle breathing. _"Kiyoko here... Obviously, heh... You must be training or something - ha, typical you..."_ There was a brief pause. "_Sorry, I don't really know what to say... Darnit, I called you, and now I'm just... Yeah... Um. I love you... Aki. Mmm, it still feels kinda weird calling you that..."_ The voice chuckled and then released a sigh. _"Well, train hard, okay? We're not going out tonight, s-so maybe if you're lucky and come home in time I can give you a massage... I've got a ton of homework though, so you better be quick! ... Catch you later!"_

I felt kinda dirty, listening to the second message and wondering if the guy got home in time for the promised massage. Naoto-kun and Senpai must've been thinking the same, because they were both quiet with somewhat flustered looks on their faces.

"T-that confirms it..." She swiped the phone away before I could play any more. "Akihiko Sanada and Kiyoko Hikaze had an... intimate relationship during his senior year. If I'm right, then the rabbit and the music box belong... No, _belonged _to her."

"A messy break-up, perhaps?"

"Or an unfortunate one." Naoto-kun sighed. "One's thinking would be more irrational in the wake of a tragedy. Consider this: what if the one you love died, and then some time later you heard a voice that was identical to hers. You'd be quite shocked and perhaps you'd want to go after it - a part of you, no matter how small, believing that she'd come back. This is only speculation, I'd need to do a little research about Hikaze... Senpai, when do the male guests have to vacate the hotsprings?"

"Oh..." She blinked. "Ten?"

"We'd best get out of here. It's almost ten-to."

"Yeah," I nodded, getting to my feet and heading over to the door. In a sense I wanted to stay in the room when Akihiko Sanada returned, to hear it all from him rather than make assumptions based on Naoto-kun's impressive skills of deduction and to, well, apologise to him.

As we said goodbye to Yukiko-senpai, my own phone went off and I found that I'd received a message from him. Souji-senpai.

_'Sorry about today. I've got some free time tomorrow afternoon if you wanted to go shopping or something.'_

My heart skipped a beat and I instantly replied. My happiness was shortlived, because a few moments later my phone rang out again.

_'Great. Yosuke and I will pick you up about one thirty. How's that sound?'_

"Grrr! Why can't you be sweet and romantic like Akihiko?" I seethed and didn't bother to reply back.

... Not until I got home, anyway.


	6. How Not to Dwell on the Past

**A/N:** We're nearly at the end of this fic! Thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed, added to favourites. 3 It sounds corny, but it really cheers me up when I've had a bad day or something. xD;

* * *

**Her Voice, Part VI:**

**How Not to Dwell on the Past**

* * *

It was a fairly mild morning, so I'd left the inn pretty early in order to go for my run. I didn't go straight back there though, but instead to the Samegawa river where it was quiet and peaceful.

The morning dew soaked my already sweaty clothes as I lay back in the grass, shielding my eyes from the rising sun and just listening to the sound of the water and fought to get my breath back.

"Well, what're the chances of meeting you here?"

I almost jumped out of my skin, not noticing the rustle of footsteps in the grass or the shadow that loomed over me.

"Oh... You... Sorry, I was..."

"Yeah, I could tell," Souji chuckled, taking a seat in the grass beside me and shuddering just a little when he realised it was damp.

"You're into fishing?" I gestured to the rod in his hand.

"Yeah. There's a few cats near my uncle's place. I come here time to time to stock up, but Dojima-san isn't too keen on me keeping them in the fridge."

"I see... There used to be a dog at the dorm I lived in during high school. We fed him our leftovers."

"Oh yeah? Hah, you look like a dog person to me. I can imagine you running along the beach with a golden retriever or something," he grinned. "I prefer cats though."

We made small talk for a while, but then the conversation turned serious.

"I'm supposed to be meeting up with a girl today." Souji looked a little annoyed, like it bothered him to go out on a date. "But... I ended up asking my best friend along too. She's probably pissed off that Yosuke's coming with us, but I can't help it... It's awkward when me and her are alone."

"Heh... Can't say I haven't done the same," I smiled faintly, though technically we hadn't been dating those times where we'd gone out with Shinji and there wasn't really anything about it.

"Yeah? How did that work out?"

I was silent for a moment and then released a sigh.

"It worked out good, I guess."

"Still together now?"

"No, we're not."

"Bummer."

"Mmm."

"How long?"

"What?"

"Sorry, I meant, how long were you together?"

"Five months."

"Really? That's... Sanada-san?" Souji frowned after a long pause; he probably noticed that I was staring ahead of us and biting my lower lip. "I didn't say anything wrong, did I?"

"It's okay," I sighed, shivering just a little. "The girl I was with... Technically, we never broke up. She passed away."

"Shit..." He breathed. "I'm sorry - I didn't know... If I did, well..."

"Don't worry about it. It was two years ago... I should be over it really... And it's not like I'm the only person who's lost someone..."

_Or the first time..._ I added silently, thinking of Miki and Shinji.

"You're right... I don't think there's a single person who can say they don't know anyone who has experienced loss. My uncle lives with just his daughter because his wife was killed in a hit-and-run years ago. They say they're over it, but I sometimes hear her crying at night. Last year, there were several murders here, in Inaba... They affected everyone, pretty much. But this girlfriend of yours... You must've loved her a lot."

"Huh?"

"I saw it in your eyes just then."

"Oh... Y-Yeah... She was my first girlfriend. Though I didn't realise it for a while..." I felt my stomach hop at the memory of us on the roof together: me trying to work out why she made me feel so strange all the time, her smiling and quietly giving a name to this sensation - love.

"She understood me... Girls used to give me attention all the time back in high school. I ignored them, but it was different with her. I could laugh and have fun with her, but at the same time I could confide in her and she always seemed to know how to put a smile back on my face no matter what was happening around us. She could be immature at times - we both could - but we were happy.

"Our first Christmas together, I bought her a music box - shoulda seen the look on her face when she saw it. I told her that every year I'd buy her something to put in it... So even now, I buy jewellery to go in the box - not just for Christmas but for her birthday too... Sorry," I smiled weakly. "You came here to fish, rather than listen to some guy go on..."

"Heh, don't worry about it. The cats won't mind," Souji grinned and then sobered a little. "I'm a little envious though... To find someone who understands you. Most of the time, I'm the one doing the understanding. The girl I'm supposed to be going out with today is like that - she palms her issues on me without a second thought, makes decisions based on things I've supposedly helped her to realise and doesn't realise how it affects my feelings. Rise's really selfish... Still, I do care about her."

"Why don't you just tell her?" I asked. "If she feels the same about you... Well, I dunno. I'm not good with girls or emotions, which was why Kiyoko had to tell me that I was in love with her."

"Really? I guess looks can be deceiving then," he shrugged. "It's okay, I wasn't expecting you to give me an answer. I might take your advice though."

We were silent again, until I happened to sneeze. Souji glanced my way and snorted.

"You've caught a cold. That, or someone's talking about you."

I shuddered, hoping it was neither but knowing it was probably the latter.

"... She said that, once," I pursed my lips and stared at the babbling water for the umpteenth time. "And I actually did have a cold... Couldn't go to Tartarus for a few days, and I got behind on my-" I broke off, realising what I'd said. "Oh um, Tartarus was the name of a gym back on Port Island..."

"Gotcha," Souji grinned, though his eyebrows were raised in amusement, as if he didn't quite believe me. And why would he? No-one else remembered the Dark Hour, even those with the potential. For a brief moment, I wondered if Souji was the type of person who transmogrified back then.

"Sanada-san?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you go to the tofu store yesterday?"

I hadn't been expecting this question, and I was speechless for what seemed like a long time. How had Souji found out? Rise had probably told him, which meant he'd known about it all the time he'd been here.

"Oh no, I heard it from Yosuke, who heard it when Rise called him and the others up to talk about how you acted like a weirdo." He explained in wake of my silence.

"I'm not interested in Rise Kujikawa..." I sighed, finding my tongue at long last.

"I know. I'm not trying to start anything, I want to ask why you were there. Does it have something to do with your girlfriend? Rise looks like her, or something?"

"No, not 'looks'," came my almost inaudible murmur. "_Sounds_."

"Sounds?"

"Her voice - it's nearly identical to Kiyoko's. Freaked me out when I heard it on the radio... I'm not usually this irrational, I don't let my emotions get the better of me - in normal circumstances I wouldn't have been bothered by it... But it was Kiyoko, dammit." I could feel the hot tears gathering and I wiped at my eyes with the back of my hand before any would spill.

"I know she's gone, and it's impossible for her to come back... It was one thought, one hope that... Dammit... Tell her I'm sorry, will you? I won't bother her again." I got to my feet, feeling my wet shirt clinging to my body - not to mention the seat of my shorts was also damp.

Souji said nothing, he didn't even call after me as I jogged up the steps.

I needed to get out of that place, to be on my own. I thought that I'd stopped crying over Kiyoko since I learned the true reason behind her death, but I was wrong. Even though she was protecting me and the other six billion people on the planet, something that I loved her all the more for doing, I still wanted her by my side. I wanted to hear her voice, her laugh, the way she'd shyly call me 'Aki' when we were alone, despite her outgoing nature. I wanted to hold her hand, stroke her hair and feel the warmth of her body against mine as we showed each other the intense feelings we couldn't express with words.

It was one man's selfishness versus the preservation of mankind, and it was a fight that I couldn't win, no matter how much I wanted to.


	7. How Not to Explain Everything

**A/N: **So I've been gone for a while - 16 months or so to be vaguely exact (wahey, oxymorons). I did intend on finishing this, but then life got in the way and I ended up disappearing completely. So, here's the rest of the story as it is in my documents.

* * *

Yukiko-senpai said I only had about ten minutes, but that was enough time for what I wanted to do. She and Chie-senpai were keeping an eye on the halls, and Naoto-kun was on the lower floor prepared to distract any housekeeping staff who would (potentially) ruin our plan.

Taking a deep breath, I called out to the person in the room beyond the sliding door.

"R-room service!"

A moment or so later, it opened to reveal a certain tall, light-haired male who probably expected someone other than Rise Kujikawa to be standing there.

"No, please don't close the door!" I cried out, darting forward to stop him from doing just that and dropping my towels in the process. "I came to apologise!"

"Apologise?" he echoed slowly, pausing for a brief while and then staring straight at me. "No... I should be the one to apologise. I-"

"No way! I totally understand why you acted like such a creeper."

He stared at me, half confused and half surprised.


	8. How Not to Be Selfish

**A/N:** POV changes ftw?

* * *

Between myself, Rise and Naoto, we were able to piece together the strange behaviour of Akihiko Sanada the day he arrived in the tofu store. Though none of us saw him again, Yukiko told us that he'd stayed at the inn until the twenty-first. We quickly forgot about him when it turned out that Adachi wasn't the true mastermind behind the strange events we'd experienced and ended up venturing back inside the TV world, almost losing the struggle against Izanami, a goddess who had been the cause of all the trouble in Inaba.

But after that? I had to go home, the same day as he did. We thought maybe he might appear at the station, but it was empty save for the investigation team, Dojima-san, Nanako and the friends I'd made at school.

Naoto wasn't the only one to research Kiyoko Hikaze either. She'd been a student at Gekkoukan High, the place we'd visited back in September, and we (the second years) had even been in her classroom. The cause of her death was unknown - she fell asleep in the arms of her boyfriend and never woke up. Doctors had performed several tests, but produced nothing in terms of results.

Margaret had mentioned to me about having an older sister, who was supposed to have been the one to assist Igor in the Velvet Room rather than her. Her sister had gone to try and free the soul of a young girl who had been sealed away to prevent a great threat two years ago. Margaret herself seemed to have met this person, because there'd been an air of respect as she spoke about her despite reprimanding her sister for getting attached to the guest.

We never knew for sure if Kiyoko Hikaze was that girl, or if she and Sanada-san had been Persona users. One thing was clear though, he'd loved her a lot - cherished her beyond anything I'd seen. It made me realise that Rise and I weren't suited for each other at that time. Maybe in the future when things had settled down, but I wasn't ready to give her what she wanted.

Of course, she cried when I told her, and begged me to change my mind. But... I wasn't going to say what she wanted to hear, just so I could tighten our bond. I was expecting her first single after coming back from hiatus to be about how much of a dick I was for always hanging out with my guy friends and then breaking her heart, but surprisingly, it wasn't.

It was called 'Her Voice'.


	9. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Yooo, Akihiko-senpai!"

"Senpai? But we're not in school anymore..."

"Yeah, but it feels weird calling you anything but," grinned Junpei Iori, slamming some things down on my coffee table. "Besides, if I were a college student too, you'd be my senpai still."

"You make no sense, as usual," I chuckled, glancing at what he'd brought with him. Several slices of watermelon, and a CD. "Oh? I've already heard it."

"Really? I didn't think you'd be into that kinda stuff," he shrugged. "C'mon though, isn't she a cutie? Her curves, her beautiful slim legs..."

"Don't let Chidori hear you say that."

"Oh no, of course not!" Junpei laughed. "Besides, me and Chidorita are like _that_!" He crossed his fingers to demonstrate. "Speaking of, are you still single?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "but I don't mind. Perhaps one day I'll find someone else, but..." I gestured to the rabbit doll and the music box, sitting pride of place on a shelf. "For now, I'm happy on my own."

"Kiyoko-tan was one heck of a girl," my old friend crossed his arms behind his head and sighed with nostalgia in his eyes.

"Yeah."

"And dude, she sounds just like Rise Kujikawa! Or rather, Risette sounds like her. S'why I brought the CD with me. The song's okay - kinda creepy, if you think about it."

"Oh?"

"Mm, the lyrics man. 'From above she'll watch on, but their love will stay strong. He'll forever hold on, to the sound of her voice'. It's like it was written for you and Kiyoko-tan."

"Nah," I shook my head, not admitting that I'd also felt as if it was about the two of us. "Probably just a coincidence."

"Even the bit about the doll and the music box?"

"Stranger things have happened - for instance, you holding down a job for longer than two weeks."

"H-hey! I resent that Senpai!" Junpei groaned, and then the two of us got started on our usual topics of conversation - sports, the others who'd been in SEES, and of course, Kiyoko.

I reached for my cellphone once Junpei had finally gone and scrolled through my missed calls - it wasn't that I never heard my phone go off, I would actually stop training if it was her calling and let it go though; I'd just wanted to hear the sound of her voice and the words that came straight from her heart (except when Junpei was acting like an idiot in the background).

"January thirty-first..." I muttered to myself, pressing the 'accept' key and holding it up to my ear. There was a crackling sound, and then the sound of gentle breathing.

_"Aki... No matter what happens today, I love you. Let's do our best to bring about a future in which we can always be together, no matter what life throws at us. Now the cheesy bit's over - where the heck are you? I know it's the 'Promised Day' and all, but I want to spend it by your side, dammit! Crap, now I sound like one of those fangirls of yours..." _I could imagine her shuddering as she paused. _"But I mean it. Out of everyone I know, you're the one I want to be with. I'll even buy you some ramen!"_

"Idiot," I smiled gently, flicking to a picture of her I'd taken on my phone. It was a natural photo, one where she was oblivious to the camera. As much as I loved the ones of her smiling, Kiyoko was prettiest when she didn't have to pose. "You knew that you didn't have to bribe me with ramen..."

That message brought back bittersweet memories of our final day together, meeting up at Hagakure and then moving to the shrine and shyly cosying up on the bench where no-one could really see us. We'd remembered our feelings for each other after Nyx's defeat, but it hadn't been the same as how we were then. When everything about the Dark Hour came back, it was too late - Kiyoko was almost gone.

I don't know how Rise Kujikawa found out all that stuff about me, beyond the things I'd said to Souji Seta. Though only a handful of people would realise the true meaning of the song, it was a nice gesture - like she understood why I acted the way I did. Ironically though? 'Her Voice' is a ballad, and Kiyoko hated ballads.


End file.
